A photo of the northern lights taken from the Kamloops area.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED/ Ryan Fisher
September 19, 2023 - 4:30 PM
Photographers from around the BC Interior were out after dark last night snapping photos of the aurora borealis' light show that shone every colour of the rainbow across clear, starry skies.
Leanne Gustavson of Armstrong was waiting in anticipation with her camera as she watched the sun set after being alerted to high auroral activity on an app called My Aurora Forecast & Alerts.
“My app went off between five and six o’clock and I was like ‘come on, get dark,’” she said. “I could see the northern lights appearing as soon as the sun set, magenta, green and pink. I called my parents in Cherryville telling them to go outside and look. I've been waiting months to see something like this, the pinks were just incredible.”
Northern lights reflected on lake surface, Kamloops.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED/ Hayden Scott
The sun is constantly sending out energy and small particles but most don’t pass through Earth’s magnetic field, according to Nasa Science.
Sometimes a solar storm called a coronal mass ejection makes the sun release electrified gas that can quickly travel through space. When a solar storm comes close to Earth some of that energy and small particles travel down the magnetic field lines at the north and south poles into the atmosphere.
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The aurora borealis, or northern lights, happen when the particles interact with gases. Oxygen gives off green and red light while nitrogen gives off blue and purple light.
For those who missed the light show last night, active aurora is possible again tonight, Sept. 19, according to Aurora Forecast.
Northern lights over Cherry Creek near Kamloops.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED/ Lorie Cook
Northern lights over Cherry Creek showing Starlink satellite.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED/ Lorie Cook
Different colours can be seen in this northern light display in skies over Kamloops.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED/ Marshall Krasser
Northern lights shimmer over Armstrong.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED/ Leanne Gustavson
The northern lights make the sky over Clinton look like it's tye dyed.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED/ Amanda Nelson
Bright, dancing northern lights over Clinton.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED/ Amanda Nelson
Neon northern lights in starry sky over Chilliwack.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED/ Mark Smith
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